Subject Area - Course Number: LIBST 400 Cross-Listing

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Curriculum Proposal Form #3 New Course

Effective Term: 2127 (Fall 2012)

Subject Area - Course Number: LIBST 400 Cross-listing: (See Note #1 below)

Course Title: (Limited to 65 characters) Capstone in Liberal Studies 25-Character Abbreviation:

Sponsor(s): David Simmons Department(s): Philosophy and Religious Studies College(s): Letters and Sciences

Consultation took place: NA Yes (list departments and attach consultation sheet) Departments: Programs Affected: Liberal Studies Is paperwork complete for those programs? (Use "Form 2" for Catalog & Academic Report updates) NA Yes will be at future meeting

Prerequisites: Liberal Studies major and senior status

Grade Basis: Conventional Letter S/NC or Pass/Fail

Course will be offered: Part of Load Above Load On Campus Off Campus - Location

College: Letters and Sciences Dept/Area(s):

Instructor: David Simmons and others Note: If the course is dual-listed, instructor must be a member of Grad Faculty.

Check if the Course is to Meet Any of the Following: Technological Literacy Requirement Writing Requirement Diversity General Education Option: Select one: Note: For the Gen Ed option, the proposal should address how this course relates to specific core courses, meets the goals of General Education in providing breadth, and incorporates scholarship in the appropriate field relating to women and gender.

Credit/Contact Hours: (per semester) Total lab hours: Total lecture hours: 16 Number of credits: 1 Total contact hours: 16

Can course be taken more than once for credit? (Repeatability) No Yes If "Yes", answer the following questions: No of times in major: No of credits in major: No of times in degree: No of credits in degree:

Revised 10/02 1 of 5 Proposal Information: (Procedures for form #3)

Course justification: Philosophy & Religious Studies has proposed to replace LIBST 499 Senior Thesis, a 3-unit independent study which involves the preparation of a lengthy term paper, with a 1-unit capstone course in which the student will be able to draw on prior coursework and demonstrate the achievement of the Liberal Studies student learning objectives by creating a portfolio, which will include a reflective essay on the artifacts presented in the portfolio as well as a professional résumé. Portfolio preparation and presentation is emphasized as an essential element of making the transition to careers in both the public and private sector, as well as to graduate studies.

Relationship to program assessment objectives: This course relates directly to a number of the program assessment objectives. By requiring students to assemble a portfolio, to write, and then present an argumentative paper in which they appeal to various artifacts in their portfolio as evidence for judgments concerning the degree to which they have obtained the student learning objectives, students will enhance their abilities: 1) to think critically and analytically; 2) to integrate and synthesize knowledge; 3) to draw conclusions from complex information; 4) to communicate effectively in written and oral form; and 5) to apply the knowledge, concepts, and methodologies of the liberal arts toward fulfilling career objectives.

Budgetary impact: Since this course will replace LIBST 499 Senior Thesis for the majority of our students, it is likely that this course will have a salutary budgetary impact. This course will be taught as a compensated overload as is done with LIBST 499, but it will consume fewer faculty resources, since it is a one-unit course as opposed to a three-unit course.

Course description (50 word limit): Capstone in Liberal Studies provides a culminating experience for Liberal Studies majors. Students will evaluate their progress toward meeting the programs student learning objectives by assembling a portfolio of artifacts and by writing a reflective essay in which they demonstrate mastery of the program’s student learning objectives.

Course Objectives and tentative course syllabus with mandatory information:

See attached syllabus.

Revised 10/02 2 of 5 Bibliography: (Key or essential references only. Normally the bibliography should be no more than one or two pages in length.)

Banta, Trudy W. Portfolio assessment: uses, cases, scoring, and impact. San Franciso: Jossey Bass, 2003.

Chen, Helen L. and Tracy Penny Light. Electronic Portfolios and Student Success: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Learning. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2010.

Kimball, Bruce A. The liberal arts tradition: a documentary history. Lanham, Md. : University Press of America, 2010.

Laff, Ned Scott, ed. Identity, learning, and the liberal arts. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.

Smith, Barry and Carl Bereiter. Liberal education in a knowledge society. Chicago: Open Court, 2002.

Zubizarreta, John. The learning portfolio: reflective practice for improving student learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009.

Revised 10/02 3 of 5 Capstone in Liberal Studies LIBST 400

Course Instructor: David Simmons [email protected] Office: White Hall, Room 117 Office Phone: 472-1232 Office Hours: Tuesday, 3:30–5:30 PM other times by appointment Wednesday, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM Thursday, 12:30–1:30 PM

Course Description

Capstone in Liberal Studies provides a culminating experience for Liberal Studies majors. Students will evaluate their progress toward meeting their own educational and professional goals by assembling a portfolio of artifacts and by writing a reflective essay in which they demonstrate mastery of the program’s student learning objectives.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, the student will present a portfolio that includes a professional résumé and a reflective essay that explains how the artifacts chosen exemplify the student’s progress toward the program’s learning outcomes. The portfolio will therefore demonstrate the student’s ability to

 think critically and analytically;  integrate and synthesize knowledge;  draw conclusions from complex information;  communicate effectively in written and oral form; and to  apply the knowledge, concepts, and methodologies of the liberal arts toward fulfilling career objectives.

Course policies

Attendance and Participation: Regular consultation with the course instructor is essential for the successful completion of each component of the portfolio. You are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions, or make arrangements with the professor to meet at an alternative time in the case of absence. More than two absences without documentation of medical or family emergency, or university-sponsored conflicts, may result in the reduction of the course grade at the discretion of the instructor.

Course requirements and grading

The course grade will be based on an evaluation of the three components of the portfolio, each worth 1/3 of the final grade:

 The overall quality, relevance, and effectiveness of the artifacts presented  A reflective essay of 1,500–2,000 words  A professional résumé

Each component will be worth a maximum of 50 points, for a total of 150 points overall. Criteria for grading each component of the portfolio will be explained in detail as the course progresses.

Grade scale:

A- 94% or above A- 90-93 B+ 87-89 B 84-86 B- 80-83 C+ 77-79 C 74-76 C- 70-73

Revised 10/02 4 of 5 D+ 67-69 D 64-66 D- 60-63 F 59% or below

University policies

The University of Wisconsin—Whitewater is dedicated to a safe, supportive and non-discriminatory learning environment. It is the responsibility of all undergraduate and graduate students to familiarize themselves with University policies regarding Special Accommodations, Academic Misconduct, Religious Beliefs Accommodation, Discrimination and Absence for University Sponsored Events (for details please refer to the Schedule of Classes; the “Rights and Responsibilities” section of the Undergraduate Catalog; the Academic Requirements and Policies and the Facilities and Services sections of the Graduate Catalog; and the “Student Academic Disciplinary Procedures” (UWS Chapter 14); and the “Student Nonacademic Disciplinary Procedures” (UWS Chapter 17)).

Tentative Schedule:

Week 1-. Introduction to the course Week 2- Review of students’ statement of objectives developed in LIBST 201 Week 3- LEAP essential learning outcomes (ELO) and the philosophy of liberal studies Week 4- Understanding ELO 1: Knowledge of human culture and the physical and the natural world Week 5- Understanding ELO 2: Intellectual and practical skills Week 6- Understanding ELO 3: Personal and social responsibility Week 7- Understanding ELO 4: Integrative learning Week 8- How to write a reflective essay Week 9- Assembling your Portfolio Week 10 -Assembling your Portfolio Week 11 – Constructing a résumé Week 12- How your résumé works with your portfolio Week 13- Portfolio assessment Week 14- Drafts of reflective essays Week 15- Student presentations and faculty review Week 16- Student presentations and faculty review

Revised 10/02 5 of 5